27 Shocking And Tragic Things That Really Happened While Filming Reality Shows

Warning: This station contains mentions of death, suicide, and carnal cruelty.

1. In 2019, histrion and exemplary Godfrey Gao, known for his relation successful The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, collapsed and died portion filming the Chinese world contention Chase Me, a amusement infamous for pushing celebrities done utmost nighttime carnal challenges. Gao reportedly worked for hours without remainder earlier suffering a fatal cardiac arrest astatine conscionable 35 years old, sparking wide outrage implicit the show’s grueling conditions.

John Lamparski / Getty Images for Global Entertai

2. While filming an occurrence of Wipeout successful 2020, a contestant, Michael Paredes, suffered a heart attack soon aft finishing the course. Medics on-site treated him, and helium was transported to a hospital, wherever helium died soon after. According to the coroner's report, Paredes completed 2 of the Wipeout obstacles but fell connected the third. He struggled to aquatics to the broadside of the excavation and was lifted into a wheelchair earlier rapidly losing consciousness.

3. Bear Grylls went into afloat anaphylactic daze and nearly died aft being stung by a bee portion filming Treasure Island with Bear Grylls successful 2019. Grylls' pharynx began to close, his breathing became shallow, and helium collapsed arsenic the unit scrambled to get him help. Medics rushed successful with an EpiPen to halt him from slipping into afloat shutdown.

4. In August 2014, Cops dependable technician Bryce Dion was accidentally changeable and killed by Omaha constabulary portion filming a robbery astatine a Wendy’s. The unit became separated from the police, with Dion ending up connected the other broadside of the restaurant. Police opened fire, sidesplitting some the fishy and Dion, who was caught successful the crossfire. Police aboriginal determined the limb pulled by the fishy was a pellet gun. Dion's property aboriginal sued the metropolis for wrongful death, but the lawsuit was dismissed successful 2019, and the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the ruling.

5. In May 2009, a contestant connected the Bulgarian mentation of Survivor, Noncho Vodenicharov, collapsed and died of a bosom attack portion filming connected the Philippine land of Caramoan. He had conscionable finished a situation erstwhile the bosom onslaught struck, and contempt efforts by on-site doctors, helium could not beryllium saved.

6. In August 2009, Saad Khan, a contestant connected a Pakistani world amusement filming successful Thailand, drowned during a situation that required him to aquatics crossed a water portion wearing a 15-pound backpack. He called retired for assistance mid-swim, and horrified co-contestants and unit rushed successful to effort to prevention him, but they couldn’t find him successful the lake’s murky water. Divers aboriginal recovered his body. The death, which occurred during the show’s 10th episode, raised superior questions astir information oversight connected stunt-heavy world productions.

7. Storage Wars prima Darrell Sheets revealed during the bid special, Unlocked, that helium erstwhile found a corpse, wrapped successful plastic, wrong a locker that helium bought backmost successful 1988. According to Sheets, the constabulary told him a antheral had murdered his woman and near her successful the unit.

8. Paula Goodspeed, a contestant connected American Idol who was reportedly "infatuated" with justice Paula Abdul, died by termination "a fewer doors down" from Abdul's Los Angeles location successful 2008. When she was connected the amusement (during Season 5 successful 2006), she had been "ridiculed and flatly rejected" by the judges during her audition.

According to ABC News, Abdul aboriginal said that Goodspeed had been stalking her for 17 years and that she begged Simon Cowell and the producers not to fto Goodspeed audition. She claimed they pushed up anyhow due to the fact that they thought it would marque “good television,” adjacent though it caused her important stress.

9. Robert Buchel, who appeared successful Season 6 of My 600-Lb Life, died partway done filming his episode. He began the amusement astatine 840 pounds and worked intimately with Dr. Now, yet losing 340 pounds. But Buchel besides had a long-standing painkiller addiction that worsened arsenic helium underwent aggregate aesculapian procedures. During production, helium suffered a fatal bosom onslaught portion successful recovery, and the unit documented however his wellness and addiction struggles had intensified. His occurrence (Season 6, Episode 8) aired 4 months aft his death, making it 1 of the astir tragic stories ever featured connected the show.

10. Joey Kovar, a formed subordinate connected MTV's The Real World: Hollywood "battled cause and intoxicant addiction until helium was yet asked to permission the series." Kovar aboriginal went connected to look connected Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew successful 2009, but died a fewer years aboriginal successful 2012 arsenic a effect of "opiate intoxication."

11. Gabriel Ben-Meir, a euphony coordinator for MTV's amusement Punk'd and different shows was changeable and killed extracurricular his location successful Los Angeles successful May 2011. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Two suspects, Jabaar Vincent Thomas and Destiny Young, were aboriginal charged with second-degree murder. The motive, according to authorities: robbery."

13. Speaking of Deadliest Catch, during Season 6, fisherman and prima Phil Harris died aft suffering a stroke portion off-loading crab successful 2010.

14. And Tom Brossard, an technologist connected the Deadliest Catch vessel the Saga, died abruptly of a heart attack during Season 20. In Episode 16, formed subordinate and skipper of the Titan Explorer, Jake Anderson, received a telephone from his woman informing him of Brossard's death. Brossard had been 1 of his erstwhile unit members.

15. Outside of the deaths connected Deadliest Catch, galore formed members person sustained gruesome injuries portion filming/working connected their boats, too. Like the time, platform boss, Mike Vanderbilt mislaid the extremity of his digit aft slipping connected crystal connected platform successful Season 8. His manus got stuck betwixt the launcher and a crab pot, causing the terrible injury.

17. Gerald Babin, a contestant connected Koh-Lanta (the French mentation of Survivor), died during filming. Babin suffered cardiac apprehension aft jumping disconnected a vessel and participating successful a tug-of-war challenge. As a result, accumulation was stopped, and the amusement was canceled for the 2013 season.

18. Just 1 week later, a doctor, Thierry Costa, who had worked connected Koh-Lanta and performed exigency attraction connected Babin, died by suicide. In a termination note, Costa said that his sanction had been "sullied by the media" concerning the decease of Babin.

19. During the filming of different French world show, Dropped, successful 2015, two helicopters crashed, sidesplitting 10 people. Pegged arsenic an escapade world show, it was to travel 8 sports stars who would beryllium blindfolded and dropped successful the wild. The amusement was canceled aft the tragic accident.

20. Diem Brown, a formed subordinate of The Challenge, collapsed connected acceptable successful 2014 portion shooting Battle of the Exes 2. She was rushed to a New York infirmary for exigency country related to ovarian crab that had metastasized to her colon and stomach. Footage of her formation from Panama to NY for the country was included successful the amusement and marked her past words connected the show, "I'm astatine a constituent successful my beingness wherever I privation to conscionable unrecorded life," earlier she died connected November 14, 2014.

23. Mexican-American vocalist Jenni Rivera — who starred successful her ain show, I Love Jenni — and respective members of her interior circle, died successful a level crash successful 2012 successful the mediate of filming Season 3. The last play explored the aftermath of her death.

25. Shain Gandee, prima of the MTV bid Buckwild, on with 2 others, was found dormant successful a truck arsenic a effect of c monoxide poisoning. MTV suspended filming of Season 2 and yet canceled the show.

26. While filming an "Untitled Military Project" amusement for the Discovery Channel, a chopper crashed, sidesplitting the 3 radical connected board. The victims were chopper aviator David Gibbs, 59, on with Darren Rydstrom, 45, unit of the show, and Michael Donatelli, 45, a formed member.

27. Finally, Steve Irwin, prima of Animal Planet's The Crocodile Hunter, died successful September 2006 aft a stingray pierced his thorax with its process spine. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Irwin had been "doing immoderate shallow h2o shots for his girl Bindi's TV show, Bindi the Jungle Girl," erstwhile the stingray attacked him. He was past pronounced dormant astatine the scene.